Shia LaBeouf cast as a 20-foot-tall 'man-child' in new romantic drama 'A Giant'

"Transformers" star Shia LaBeouf has been cast in a new romantic drama tentatively titled "A Giant", a quirky story about a 20-foot-tall man-child (LaBeouf, who's at least got the "man-child" part down) who forms a relationship with a girl on the run from a string of bad relationships. "Monster House" helmer Gil Kenan will direct from a script that he wrote.

"Giant" will serve as the first film from Lava Bear Productions, a recently-created banner started by producer/execs David Linde, Tory Metzger and Adam Rymer, according to Variety, which first reported the story. They will produce the film along with the Jim Henson Company and a French visual effects outfit called BUF, which has worked on many high-profile films including "Avatar", "Thor" and "Green Lantern".

This news comes on the heels of a report that Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg are in conversations to move forward on back-to-back "Transformers" sequels, which LaBeouf likely won't be starring in given his recent assertion that he'd be moving on from the giant-robot franchise.